Introduction
This is God’s Holy Character-A Messianic Study of Exodus 3:1-4:13. It is the 47th Torah Portion of our 3-year Torah-reading cycle.
Now, despite there being a great many historical and spiritual nuggets that the practical, truth-seeking Messianic/Netzari may draw from this reading, we will find that the theme and point of our text has to do with Yehovah’s holiness. And by the time we part company here today beloved, we will have examined how we as Yah’s chosen are to view and approach our Creator in relation to His holiness.
As in previous Sabbath Thoughts and Reflection Torah Reading discussions, we will read portions of the text and then discuss the read text. I will be referencing the English Standard Version for our text.
So, if you are so led, grab your bible and maybe your favorite cup of something, and what do you say we get into Yah’s Word today?
Let’s begin.
Moses’ Change in Occupation
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (Exo 3:1 ESV)
Here find that sometime after fleeing to Midian/Midyan and marrying the Cohen of Midyan’s daughter Zipporah (we discussed this story in STAR-46 blog post) Moshe becomes a shepherd. Some extra-biblical sources say that Moshe spent some 40-years in Midyan prior to the events recorded here in our reading. Other extra-biblical sources place Moshe in Africa prior to his time in Midyan. Regardless, what we see here is a turning of the tables if you will, a shifting of fate in the life of Moshe. I would go so far as to suggest that Moshe, in him taking up the shepherding of his father-in-law’s flocks, was being humbled by Abba. Maybe Yah felt Moshe needed humbling before he would be of use to Him. Maybe something in Moshe’s character required that he be brought down a few pegs to be of proper use to Yah. And you know, beloved, such things are not out of the norm when the Kingdom of Yah impinges and eclipses the lives of those who belong to Yehovah.
And please don’t misunderstand me beloved. I am in no way disparaging or marginalizing shepherding as a vocation. Shepherding was a respected and important vocation among most ANE peoples. But shepherding, as it relates to Moshe at this juncture of our reading, would have been a huge step-down in terms of profession and background. For here we have Moshe who was reared, no doubt prim and proper, in Pharaoh’s court—conceivably trained and educated in warfare, government, Egyptian culture and the like–who is now made to lower himself to the most menial and humbling of ANE vocations: shepherding.
It’s important to know that as far as the ancient Egyptians were concerned, herding flocks and cattle and shepherds themselves were considered abominable. No doubt Moshe having been reared in this Egyptian elitest mindset would no doubt have had to have some level of adjustment made to his sensibilities and comfort level in terms of him becoming a shepherd. In other words, he was humbled.
When we are called by Abba to do the work of the Kingdom, He may start us off with some levels of conditioning and deconditioning. He may have to humble us to make us useful instruments in bringing about His divine plans and will. And this is the period where so many who initially come to Faith become discouraged, especially as it relates to their operating or functioning in an assembly or congregation. We may be asked to do things that may not be to our liking or that conflict with our comfort levels or prior experiences. But such humbling experiences are often meant to affect change in us. Possibly to humble us and make us into proper and useable instruments and platforms by which Yah may work through us in bringing about His plans and will.
And so, when we find ourselves in events or situations that appear are meant to humble us and prepare us for service, we should look at those events and situations as opportunities to serve the Kingdom, and not bemoan them. Not steer away from them. But embrace them and look forward to seeing what Yah has in store for us in the work of the Kingdom.
So, it is through the vocation of shepherding that Moshe will be introduced to Yehovah. Some may not see the humility of shepherding as having anything to do with our present reading. But I would humbly beg to differ. For the encounter that Moshe is about to have with the Creator of the Universe was by no means a thing of happenstance. If anything, scripture shows us that Yah does not operate through happenstance. And so, I believe what we’re seeing here in our text today is Moshe having been conditioned, even humbled by Yah, in preparation for him being commissioned to lead Yisra’el out of Mitsrayim. And we’re talking, not just preparing Moshe to be a useful instrument of His will and plan, but also orchestrating the events and situations that lead to Moshe meeting Yehovah on His holy mountain.
And so, here in this verse we read that Moshe leads his father-in-law, Yitro’s (aka, Re’u’el’s; the Cohen of Midian/Midyan’s) flocks to Horeb where the Mountain of Yehovah (aka Mount Sinai) is located. Thus, it stands to reason that Midyan was located somewhere close to Mount Sinai or Horeb. We know from relatively recent discoveries from folks such as Ron Wyatt, Jim and Penny Caldwell, and other adventurers and people of Faith Horeb and the Mount Sinai are not located in modern Isra’el as Constantine’s mother Helena established back in the 4th century A.D. But rather, Mount Sinai, the Mountain of Yah, is in modern day Northwestern Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi government is presently constructing a city called Neom. It is intended to be a major tourist attraction that will feature Mount Sinai and many of the landmarks of the Exodus story. Nevertheless, Horeb and this Mountain of Elohim are featured prominently throughout the Tanach (Exo. 4:27; 17:6; 18:5; 24:13; 1 Kin. 19:8; cf. Gal. 1:17; 4:25).
Continuing:
And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. (Exo 3:2 ESV)
So much to unpack here. But we read that an angel of Yehovah (Heb. mal’ak yhvh) appears to Moshe “in a flame of fire” out of the midst of a bush that was not consumed by the fire. And based upon the wording, it does not appear that the bush itself was afire since it was not consumed by the flame. But rather, it was the entity–the mal’ak YHVH—the Angel of Yehovah that may have been flaming. (See Derek P. Gilbert-The Great Inception) Most bible scholars presume that the bush itself was ablaze, while others, such as Torah scholar and author Tim Hegg believe what Moshe encountered here was “the Shekinah” (the divine presence or settling of Yehovah) in the form of a burning bush” (Parashah 47 commentary). I am open to all arguments on this detail of our reading. But as far as I’m concerned, I believe the Angel of Yah was flaming, not the bush. And I would invite you to check out Derek P. Gilbert’s book entitled “The Great Inception” as it relates to the angelic entities known as “nachash” which will also give you an understanding of why I believe this angel that was in the midst of the bush had a flaming appearance. I’ll also mention a little more about these angelic beings in just a few.
Now, many denominationalists and not too few Messianic/Netzari bible enthusiasts contend that this “mal’ak YHVH” was our “pre-incarnate” Master, Yahoshua HaMashiyach. But to be honest with you, I cannot buy into such a claim. To make such a claim is an eisogenic move—eisogenic meaning reading into scripture things that are based and heavily influenced by one’s personal beliefs, preferences, and experiences, which can lead one into gross error in terms of their understanding of certain scriptural passages. So, to say that the “mal’ak YHVH”-this mysterious Angel of the LORD–that is featured throughout scripture is the pre-incarnate Yeshua is reading into–adding to the sacred texts. For Master never once identified Himself as an angel. He identified Himself as Yah’s Son and as the prophesied Messiah/the Mashiyach (Matthew 4:3,6; 8:29; 14:33; 26:63-64; Mark 3:11; Luke 22:70; John 1:49; 3:18; 11:4, 27; Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; Matthew 16:16).
See my discussion on the Person of Yeshua Messiah…Who and What is Yeshua Messiah.
I get that many have pointed to Hebrews 2:9 for their support of their claim that Yeshua was made lower than the angels for the time He walked this earth. But this verse in no way states that Yeshua ever existed as an angel/ mal’ak. For if we want to go down that erroneous spiritual alley, we must consider that both Psalm 8:5 and Hebrew 2:7 state that humans too were made lower than angels. The point of these verses is that Yahoshua existed as a mortal man during the time He walked and ministered here on this earth. He is not Yehovah. And scripture does not support that He pre-existed His earthly existence, except in the heart and mind of Yehovah. The Apostle Yochanan declared that Yahoshua was the word of Yehovah–the powerful word that brought all of creation into existence—and that word was made into a perfect man (John/Yochanan 1:14). To say otherwise is, in my humble opinion, reading heavily into Yah’s word.
Who then is this “Angel/Mal’ak of Yehovah”? I believe it to be the archangel, Gabriel. Gabri’el identified himself to Yochanan the Immerser’s father, the Cohen Zecharyah/Zechariah, that he stood in the Presence of the Almighty (Luke 1:19). In every sense, Gabri’el would be an “Angel/Mal’ak of Yehovah” or an “Angel of the Presence.” And scripture records that that Yah sent Gabri’el on various missions throughout Yisra’el’s history as a facilitator of Yah’s Will and Plans. Thus, it makes more sense that Gabri’el, as opposed to Yahoshua, would possess the lofty title of Mal’ak Yehovah. It turns out that the Mal’ak Yehovah is referenced some 66-times in the KJV. And it is recorded that when he would appear to humans that his visage/appearance would invoke great fear within them. And at the risk of violating eisogesis rules myself, I would submit that maybe Gabri’el, depending on his Yah-given assignment, would on occasion alter his appearance. He obviously possessed tremendous authority and power, as it related to Yisra’el’s wellbeing and protection (Exodus/Shemot 14:19; 23:20-23; 32:34; 33:2). I would not be surprised if this angelic being was a flaming nachash who also happened to be Gabri’el. (Remember, these are just Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections beloved. It falls upon you to conduct your own study and seek Yah’s truths for yourself. Don’t take what I’m saying as de facto truth. As with most things in life beloved, trust but verify. I could be wrong. But in this case, I don’t think so. Just saying.)
Let’s continue.
And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” (Exo 3:3 ESV)
In seeing this “great sight” (i.e., haggadol mar’eh) as some text render it, Moshe is saying to himself that he will stop what he’s doing–that of tending to his father-in-law’s flocks–and investigate this “haggadol mar’eh,” for it appeared to defy natural logic such that the bush was not consumed by the flames of the Mal’ak Yehovah.
Yah from time-to-time will employ the unusual to attract our attention. It then becomes a question as to whether we will drop what we’re doing at the time and respond to the attraction. Unfortunately, too many of us are all too often distracted by the things of this world and are not always in a spiritual place to appreciate such unusual events and occurrences. Some of which are manifested by Yah for our benefit. Thus, it behooves us to always have our spiritual eyes and ears in tune to receive the things of Yah.
Continuing.
When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, aGod called to him bout of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Exo 3:4 ESV)
Here the text states that it was Yehovah who saw Moshe coming towards the “haggadol mar’eh”/”great sight” and it was Yah Who called out to Moshe with the emphatic calling of “Moshe, Moshe,” indicative of an immediate and direct appeal to him. That it was Moshe, and Moshe alone, that the Creator of the Universe sought to communicate with at this time. And the text indicates that Moshe did in fact have both eyes to see and ears to hear that which came from this “great sight.” For Moshe’s response was: “Hineini,” yes, I am here. You have my undivided attention.
Yah at times requires our undivided attention, and it falls to us to listen to His still small voice, even in the midst of the chaos of this evil world. And when we hear it His still small voice calling out to us amid the chaos of this world, it behooves us to respond with a “hinneh/hinneni.”
I find it intriguing that Yah chose to this method to draw Moshe’s attention from his mundane task and call out to him. But maybe this was not an unusual situation as far as the Kingdom of Elohim is concern. This was, after all, the “mountain of Yah” (aka Mount Sinai), which I humbly submit to you was another location for the Kingdom of Yah here on earth. For I believe that wherever Yah’s presence is truly found, is where the Kingdom of Yah is located. The first iteration of the Kingdom was in Gan Eden (aka the Garden of Eden). Now we see the Kingdom of Yah here on Mount Sinai, replete with flaming Mal’ak Yehovah. Later on the Kingdom of Yah will manifest in the midst of the Congregation of Yisra’el, centralized in the Tabernacle, and later on in the Temple. And then with Yahoshua our Master presence here on earth. And from there, the Kingdom of Yah is within each of us who possess a trusting faith in the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua Messiah and who possess a faithful, obedient covenant relationship with Yehovah (Matthew/Mattitiyahu 12:28; Mark 9:1; 10:15; Luke 10:9-11; 11:20; 12:31-32; 17:21; 18:17).
Let’s go on to verse 5.
Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exo 3:5 ESV)
Although Yah intended for Moshe to turn from that which he had been doing (i.e., tending to Yitro’s flocks) and turn his attention fully onto Him, there was the critical matter of Yah’s holiness—Yah’s Qodesh—His set-apartness–that had to be immediately dealt with before this historic encounter could move forward. For Yah is holy–Qodesh. In fact, everything about Yah is Qodesh. And we can safely say that Yah’s very character is Qodesh. Conversely Moshe, just as we were before we entered into covenant with Yah and Yahoshua’s blood was applied to our sins, was not; we were not. He was still a creature who, as the Psalmist wrote, had been “shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin” (51:5). The mountain and the place where Yah’s presence was being manifested was Qodesh, not because the mountain which is a creation of Yah is in and of itself Qodesh, but rather, Yah’s presence on that mountain made it Qodesh. You see: Yah determines what is Qodesh and what is not by either His presence being in or on that thing or by Yehovah Himself determining that an object, a place, or person is Qodesh. And in so establishing that which is Qodesh from that which is not, He-Yah-also establishes the rules around people’s interactions and contact with Himself and those elements and things He has deemed as Qodesh. And as we progress through our Torah Readings in the coming months, we’ll see how the Tabernacle and the implements of worship were deemed Qodesh.
Thus, we see here in this verse that Yah establishes restrictions as to how Moshe would come into His Qodesh presence by (1) restricting His distance from His presence, and (2) by requiring that Moshe remove his sandals. Why the removal of Moshe’s sandals? A human’s sandals/shoes are the implements by which one walks about this evil world. It is in effect spiritually infected by the evils of the world upon which they tread. Thus, they are unclean and are not to be worn in Yah’s presence. Essentially, the world outside the Malchut Elohim-Yehovah’s Kingdom—really has no place as it relates to Yah’s presence. And so, if one desires to operate in Yah’s presence, he or she must shed themselves of that which is profane. It behooves us to be ever so cognizant of this fundamental fact whenever we endeavor to enter Yah’s presence. Sin is at the heart of that which is profane. And it is only by the shedding of the blood of an innocent life that will mitigate the effects of sin in this world. Praise Yah for Yahoshua, whose atoning sacrifice covers us and makes our coming into the presence of Father Yah possible.
And so, it falls to us who have been called by His Name, to recognize this fundamental character of the Creator—that being His Holiness. And in so doing, act accordingly.
I believe given that this was the first encounter Yah had had with His covenant people in centuries, Yah had to re-establish, beginning with Moshe, Who He was and what He was all about. And the first stop along that re-establishing of covenant relationship with His chosen people was to train them on matters of how they were to approach and treat Him; how they were to regard His holiness; how they were to view themselves in light of His presence in their lives. We would be wise to learn this fundamental reality of life, especially in how we conduct ourselves in Yah’s presence: How we worship Him. How we pray to Him. How we address Him. How we approach Him. How we view ourselves in relation to Him. And so forth.
In the case of our text, Yah begins His education of Moshe regarding that which is Qodesh, and by extension, His covenant people, and by extension us, by establishing distance and disposition (i.e., what we’re expected to do; how we’re expected to act; what we must leave behind) when in His presence. So, He tells Moshe to stop where He was and remove his footwear since the ground upon which he was treading was Qodesh. Yah’s requirement in maintaining the distinction between Him and Moshe was simply to state the rules. Moshe’s requirement was to recognize who he was in relation to Who he was encountering, obey the rules, and humble himself before his creator.
So, the take-away point here is that it is Yah Who establishes and separates the holy (i.e., the Qodesh) from the profane.
And we find throughout Scripture this call to treat Yehovah and the things of Yehovah with total respect, reverence, humility, and above all, holiness. Examples include:
Leviticus 10:3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
Psalm 89:7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
Habukkah 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
Continuing.
And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. (Exo 3:6 ESV)
In this verse Yah officially introduces Himself to Moshe as the Elohim of his father and of the Hebrew patriarchs. In this precise introduction, Yah effectively set Himself apart, at least in the mind of Moshe, from the pantheon of Mitsriy/Egyptian elohim/gods that he’d no doubt been taught in Pharaoh’s court to worship. Counter to this pantheon of Mitriy elohim, Moshe no doubt had been told by his biological father, a Levite, of the One True Elohim–El Shaddai–the Elohim of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov, about the God of the Hebrews. Moshe no doubt would have been told that this was the One who’d entered a covenant relationship with each one of the fathers of his people.
So, there’d be no confusion whatsoever in Moshe’s mind as to Whose presence he was in.
The other thing that we should be acutely aware of here is that in Yah introducing Himself to Moshe as the Elohim of his father and the patriarchs of his kinsmen, Yah was also setting Moshe straight as it related to his personal identity. No more was Moshe to view himself as an Mitsriy/Egyptian, but rather, as a “bene Ya’achov;” a Yisra’elite; even an inheritor of the covenant promises of the Hebrew patriarchs. He was of an established heritage and of a chosen people–a covenant people.
And Moshe’s immediate reaction was one of complete and utter fear, as the text asserts that he hid his face or turned his face from Yah.
So, I’m led to wonder, beyond natural human fear of things that we don’t understand, what was going on within Moshe to make him fear so? Was it the realization that the God/the Elohim of His forefathers was real and that he was now in His presence?
Let’s continue:
Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, (Exo 3:7 ESV)
Here Yah establishes with Moshe that He hears, sees, and knows of the sufferings and anguish that His covenant people were enduring. He indirectly establishes that He was not like the Mitsriy pantheon of gods that he was no doubt familiar with, who were no gods at all (2 Kings 19:18; Isaiah/Yesha’Yahu 37:19; Jeremiah/Yermi’Yahu 2:11; 5:7; 16:20; Ephesians 19:26; Galatians 4:8).
The gods of this world do not respond to that which is going on in the world. These are mal’ak/angels that have failed in their given duties to their Creator:
When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God. (Deu 32:8 LXA)
Yah will deal with those entities who forsook their allegiance to Yah and endeavored to cause their human charges to go astray:
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7 But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes. (Psa 82:6-7 KJV)
But here Yah establishes that He is the Elohim that sees, hears, and knows what is going on with His people. And that He responds to their cries, sufferings, and afflictions according to His perfect Will and timing. Of particular concern to Yah is the role that the Mitsriy taskmasters play in the sufferings and afflictions of His people, which foreshadows some degree of forthcoming recompense and judgment to be meted out upon those that tribulate of His people.
Here too we see that Yah is an intimate God. That which happens to His covenant people that is contrary to His Will and Purpose and Character upset Him and He will act to address the problem. And so, what this says to us today is that Yah knows what we may be going through and that He does have our back. He may not act according to our preferred timing or in a way we’d prefer for Him to address our issues. But He will deal with our situation if we remain in an obedient covenant relationship with Him. And like Yisra’el, Yah has a profound stake as it relates to our wellbeing and future.
Moving on:
8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. (Exo 3:8-9 ESV)
So, we read here that Yah, from an anthropomorphic perspective, reveals to Moshe that He had “come down” to act against the oppression of His people and to bring to fruition the covenant promises associated with Avraham’s descendants taking possession of Canaan/Kena’an. Thus, we take note here that Yehovah is the Elohim Who keeps His promises. He will always accomplish and complete that which He has promised he’ll do:
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Num 23:19 ESV)
3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (Rom 3:3-4 KJV)
There are a few things to take note of here in this verse.
- In Yah saying that He had come down to deliver Yisra’el from Egyptian/Mitsriy oppression and to bring them to Canaan/Kena’an, He was not necessarily saying that He in His Person had descended down to earth to directly deliver Yisra’el. But rather, Yah is asserting to Moshe here that the situation involving Yisra’el has come to His immediate attention, and He was about to take personal oversight of the situation. One could look at this from the perspective of Yah taking direct oversight of the situation. And more times than not, this oversight would include some form of judgment against His and His people’s enemies with the goal of delivering His people from their tribulations and keeping the covenant promises He’d made to His people. Yah will in most cases, work out His will and plan using those whom He has chosen, imbuing them with the authority and power they would need to get the job done.
Two other events in Torah come to mind when we think about Yah asserting that He has seen, heard, and knows about the evil that His enemies are committing on the earth and against His people:
Genesis/Beresheit 11:5-7 talks about Yah hearing, seeing, and learning of the injustices and evil intent of the peoples of Shinar (the builders of the Tower of Babel). And the text talks about Yah coming down to Shinar to destroy the people’s works, bring an end to the injustices the people were committing against the innocent, and bringing judgment against the guilty.
Similarly in Genesis/Beresheit 18:20-21 we find Yah stating to Avraham that He’d heard the cries of the innocents of Sodom and Gomorrah, and He knows of the inhabitants of these cities and their sin. Thus, He reveals to Avraham that He came down to confirm for Himself and do what needed to be done to correct the situation.
The second thing to take note of here in these verses is that Yah informs Moshe that His response to the hardships that His covenant people were enduring would include deliverance from that hardship, which would likely include judgment against the people and gods of Mitsrayim, and fulfillment of the covenant promise regarding the Land of Promise by delivering the nation to Canaan/Kena’an. A rescue and a bringing to.
Regarding His bringing His people to the Land of Promise, Yah identifies the names of the nation peoples that were to be marked for destruction (Exodus/Shemot 23:23; Deuteronomy/Devarim 7:2; 20:17).
Thus, we see evidence here that Yah takes personal interest and even actions to deliver and protect His elect. We therefore need not fear the things that humanity throws at us. Yah will come down and deliver us from their evil acts. Yah will lead us to His glorious Kingdom/Malchut. All we need to do is trust and obey Him.
Moving on to verse 10, Yah says to Moshe:
Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exo 3:10 ESV)
A critical concept is contained in this verse which we should pay attention to.
What we have going on in this verse is a commissioning. Yah commissions Moshe to do a job. In the previous verses Yah laid out to Moshe His concerns and the need: To deliver Yisra’el from Mitsriy oppression and bring Yisra’el to the Land of Covenant Promise. Thus, Yah tells Moshe that He is “sending” him to Pharaoh with the intent and purpose of bringing Yisra’el out of Mitsrayim. In Hebrew, the verb “to send” is “shalach.” Shalach should be a familiar Hebrew term to us. It is the basis from which we get the term “apostle.” The title “apostle” in Hebrew is “shaliach” or “shaliah.” Shaliach means “messenger” or “emissary.” In Jewish law, a “shaliah” “performs an act of legal significance for the benefit of the sender, as opposed to him or herself.” In its ancient Hebrew form we get this sense of a projectile. The projectile would be a weapon that is sent by the hand of its owner or user. We also have the sense of a plant shoot that is sent out of the ground.
So, if we fast forward 1,500 years or so ahead from this event, we come across the Son of Yehovah sending-shalach–His disciples:
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Mat 10:16 KJV)
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. (Luk 10:3-4 KJV)
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (Joh 20:21 KJV)
And of course, Yeshua’s most auspicious sending of his talmidiym (i.e., His disciples) is found in the Great Commission:
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:1 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Mat 28:19-20 KJV)
So, we find in scripture that whenever Father and Yahoshua sent their people on a mission, they were essentially sending forth “emissaries” with (1) their authority—their Name, and (2) their power. The fact that these great men and women of Yah were sent on missions that required Yah’s authority and power tells us that the emissary on his or her own would be incapable of accomplishing the mission on their own strengths and skills.
Master sent forth his talmidiym to teach and baptize and make disciples of the nation peoples of the world. And when He sent them, He sent them with his authority. The Shlichyim possessed his Name. Whatever they did they’d do it in His Name–His authority. Master also sent them with His power. Master’s power is manifested in the workings of Yah’s Ruach HaKodesh–Yah’s Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit made healings and other such miracles possible. It made poor Galilean fishermen mighty orators and articulators of the Gospel. It made them prophets–both forthtelling and foretelling prophets.
So then, what does this say to us today? When we signed up to be disciples of Yahoshua Messiah, part of our job as disciples is to, in some form or another, carry out the Great Commission. Now, that’s not to say that each of us becomes an “apostle” such as Master’s inner core of disciples and Shaul became. But Master has sent forth apostles and prophets (although I’ve personally not come across any that I would consider true apostles or prophets in my lifetime); evangelists; pastors; teachers (Ephesians 4:11); miracle workers; healers; helpers; organizers; linguists; etc. (1 Corinthians 12:28), all provided by Yah to accomplish the Great Commission and for the “perfecting of the saints and the work of the gospel and edifying the true Body of Mashiyach.
That being said, Master has slated each of us to fill one or more of these stated offices or roles in the work of the Kingdom/Malchut. And if by chance we are called to work the fields in the capacity of one or more of these callings, we need not worry whether we’ll be capable of properly wearing those spiritual shoes. For when Master sends us to do the work of the gospel and to edify the Body of Mashiyach, He grants us His authority–His Name–and provides us the power in which to accomplish the mission He has sent us to perform. He fills us with Yah’s precious Ruach HaKodesh. And the Ruach HaKodesh provides us with everything we will need to accomplish our commission and calling.
But all of what we’ve been saying as it relates to verse 10 and this concept of Yah sending or commissioning His chosen ones to a mission is indicative of the fact that Yah chooses people like you and me to accomplish His purpose in the earth. In this verse Yah was commissioning Moshe to lead His kinsmen out of Mitsrayim and on to the Promised Land. And my point is simply this: Yah could have simply spoken some words and made the deliverance of Yisra’el happen without any human involvement. But Yah chose instead to commission Moshe for the task. Why does He choose to involve people, as flawed as they might be, to accomplish His will and purpose in the earth? Well, I believe it has to do with Yah doing a work in His people. Yah seeks to bring souls into His family through faithful covenant obedience. And bringing people into Yah’s family is a process that requires faith and obedience. If Yah were to have simply spoken Yisra’el’s deliverance from Mitsriy/Egyptian oppression and have them wake up one day in the Promised Land with all their enemies done away with, the very people that He sought to be in covenant with would still be the same stiffnecked, uncircumcised of hearts, selfish and self-minded people they always were. But by using people to bring about His will and purpose in the earth, Father allows for true change to occur in His children, which would bring them into true deliverance and into His presence.
Let’s look at the remaining verses of our reading:
11 But Moses said to God, a“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, a“But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, byou shall serve God on this mountain.” 13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”1 And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, a‘I AM has sent me to you.'” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD,1 the aGod of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is bmy name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and agather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, b“I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that aI will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land aflowing with milk and honey.”‘ 18 And athey will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel bshall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has cmet with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt awill not let you go unless compelled bby a mighty hand.1 20 So aI will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with ball the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And aI will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for asilver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So byou shall plunder the Egyptians.”
ESV Exodus 4:1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.'” 2 The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, a“A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”– so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand– 5 “that they may abelieve that the LORD, bthe God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.”1 And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was aleprous2 like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, ait was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile awill become blood on the dry ground.” 10 But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but aI am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and aI will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (Exo 3:11-4:12 ESV)
So, here we see Moshe’s feeble attempt at pooh poohing Yah’s commission. Moshe does what so many of us do when we’re called to work the fields for the sake of the Kingdom–the Malchut: We come up with a million and one reasons why we can’t do that which Abba has called us to do. In this case, Moshe comes up, according to my count, with four (4) reasons why he was not the person for the job:
- He was not qualified for the job (3:11-12). Moshe says to Abba: “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh?” And what I find very applicable and all the more fascinating is that Moshe, even after having this intimate encounter with the Creator of the Universe, exalts Pharaoh as someone who is greater than him. Furthermore, Moshe sees the leading of Yisra’el out of Mitsrayim/Egypt as a feat that is beyond his abilities. Interestingly, the Creator of the Universe says you’re the right guy for the job, yet you’re saying you’re not. Who’s right about this? Well, the answer to that question should be an obvious one.
But don’t we do the same thing sometimes when Yah commissions us for a work?
For our callings are commissions from Yah Himself. And we would be wise to walk in that commission/calling, knowing we have the very backing of Yah Himself to do the thing He’s calling and commissioning us to do. Too many brethren in our Faith Community choose to be benchwarmers, never walking out their calling; never listening for the still small voice of Yah that gives them their marching orders nor having the boldness to say in response to Yah’s call: “hineini”–I am here Abba–you have my undivided attention–here am I send me.
So, let us not doubt nor reject our calling as Moshe initially did in our text.
- Moshe expressed to Yah concerns (he says) he has that the people–his kinsmen would not recognize his authority (3:13-15). That his people would not recognize Yah as the source of his authority. And so, Yah identifies Himself even further to Moshe and He instructs Moshe regarding His eternal, holy Name: tell them that “I Am” sent you. “I Am”–“Heyah aser Heyah”–I am Who I am–I have always been–I exist in the here and now–I shall always be. “I will be what I will be.” The Septuagint renders Yah’s statement of His identity here as simply “I Am the Being.” And then Yah reveals to Moshe His holy Name of Yod-Hey-Vaw-Hey, famously referred to as the tetragrammaton. The three prominent pronunciations of YHVH in our Faith Community today are Yahweh, Yahuah, and Yehovah. Each pronunciation comes with vast amounts of supportive data. But we know that only one pronunciation is proper. That being said, we do the best we can, and we declare and pronounce Yah’s Name to the best of our understanding. This, Yah declared to Moshe, “is My Name forever.”
- Then Moshe comes up with the excuse that his kinsmen might see him as a fraud (4:1-9). In other words, it would be Moshe’s word against their word and lack of beliefs. And so, in response, Yah imbues Moshe with the power to perform miracles. And the thinking here is that the performing of miracles would certainly grab the peoples’ attention, including that of Pharaoh and his court, bring legitimacy to His claim of being an emissary of Yehovah.
We know that our Master performed miracles in the midst of His preaching the gospel. Why? Because miracles are a sign that Yah is somehow involved in the situation at hand, and they legitimize the emissary as being one of Yah’s chosen ones.
Oh, that the working of miracles was once again common among Yah’s people such that the peoples of this world may experience Yah in their lives. And coupled with the preaching of the gospel, turn from their wicked ways, and enter a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
- Lastly, Moshe expresses concerns that he did not possess eloquence of speech, such that would grab hold of the obedient attention of his kinsmen and Pharaoh and his court (4:10-12). He tells His Creator that he was tongue-tied, as if His Creator did not know his physical limitations. And in patient response, Yah tells Moshe that His Ruach would be with Him and that Yah Himself would give Moshe that which He wanted him to say to the people. If there was any concern for him being tongue-tied, Yah would fix that when the time would come.
Lastly, verse 13:
13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” (Exo 4:13 ESV)
Finally in our reading, we see Moshe realizing that for every excuse that entered his mind and heart in opposition to the commission that Yah put forth to him, Yah had an answer and solution to. Yah already had each concern thought out and answered before Moshe posed it to Him. Moshe was Yah’s chosen man for the job. Thus, there was no excuse that Moshe could ever come up with that Yah hadn’t already considered and factored into His selection of him for the job.
So, Moshe sensing he was not going to get anywhere with Yah on this commissioning issue, throws up his arms and simply pleads with Yah to find someone else to do the job. He simply didn’t want to do the job.
Can we see ourselves in Moshe here?
Some have surmised that the best person for the job is the one who never sought after the job in the first place. And in some circumstances, I would presume this to be true. But as humble as it might be to some that one would excuse themselves from Yah-ordained service or commission, it may be a dangerous avenue to take.
To deny the commission of Yah is to deny the reality of Who Yah is. Yah is the giver of life. Yah is the sustainer of life. Yah governs the steps of His chosen ones. And to reject Yah’s commission is to reject Yah’s sovereignty in and over our lives. It’s a slap in the face of Yehovah, and He doesn’t take rejection well, as we will see in reading 48.
Messianic/Netsari Take-Away From our Reading
Let us keep at the forefront of our thoughts and actions that Yehovah is holy—Qodesh. We must never overlook or take for granted this reality. His holiness should serve as a reminder to us of our shortcomings and misgivings and of the places in our lives that the Ruach HaKodesh—the Holy Spirit—needs to clean-up so that we are presentable to Yah. That we provide Yah a suitable dwelling place while we walk this earth.
When we came to Faith, our trusting faith in Yahoshua resulted in our being given brand, spanking new, clean white garments. And as we walk this walk in Mashiyach, it falls to us to maintain those garments and keep them spotless.
Addressing the Laodiceans, Yahoshua had Yochanan the Revelator write:
18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. (Rev 3:18 ESV)
Indeed, Yahoshua’s sacrifice—His blood—coupled with our trusting faith in the Person and Ministry of Yeshua Messiah covers over our sins and we are justified before a Holy and Righteous Elohim (Romans 3:20-28). That is why we may come boldly into His Presence—even into the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19; Ephesians 3:12).
This reality is a gift from Yah. But this gift of Yah—our having direct access to His Presence, doesn’t change the fact that Yah is Qodesh. And knowing the depths of that reality should prompt us to remain in a perpetual state of purity. Purity such that we abstain from and reject every form of impurity. That is, we heed the sage teachings of Shaul to the Messianics in Corinth:
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2Co 10:5 KJV)
It behooves us to always be clean in every area of our lives, such that nothing will impede our coming into Yah’s presence.
And speaking of coming into His presence, it is imperative that we treat Yah as Qodesh in our worship; in our approach to prayer and intercession; in how we conduct meditation and study of His precious instructions in righteousness; in how we walk and how we treat our neighbor. That we be Qodesh as He our Elohim is Qodesh (1 Kefa/Peter 1:14-16). This is what seeking out Yah’s righteousness is all about (Matthew 6:33).
And lastly beloved, we must keep in mind that Yah orders our steps as the Psalmist wrote:
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (Psa 37:23 KJV)
And although Moshe may not have understood that at the time, it was Yehovah that brought him to the Holy Mountain and into His Qodesh presence and into his commission.
As Yah’s elect, it is imperative, especially in these dark times, that we stay acutely in tune with Yah. As He orders our steps, He leads us to places and people and situation that He has commissioned us to handle on His behalf. In in that commissioning He will have conferred upon us His Name and imbued us with His power and authority to complete the task. We are His arms and legs on the earth. He uses us to fulfill his purpose and accomplish His will in the earth. It’s what we signed up for. Sometimes we really do have to work for our salvation. (I didn’t say that we work to earn our salvation. I’m simply saying because of our salvation, we work. We do the will and purpose of Yah.)
So, with that in mind, let us be acutely aware of our spiritual surroundings and in tune to hear Yah’s voice when He calls. And when He calls, let us be of the mind and heart to say “hineini.”